Their laptop CPU names are now quite different from their desktop counterparts.

Let’s break down their naming scheme and explain what each number means for you.

If you care about performance, pay close attention to the second and third digits.

GeForce RTX AMD Radeon and AMD Ryzen stickers on the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 14 Gen 8.

Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek

Still, it’s hard to comprehend these perplexing model numbers without any context.

Let’s go through them one by one.

Portfolio Model Year

Traditionally, the first number in CPUs has been the CPU generation.

AMD’s Ryzen processor naming scheme infographic, showing the model ‘Ryzen 5 7640U’ against a dark background. The image breaks down the meaning of each segment of the model name, corresponding to release year, market segment, architecture, feature isolation, and form factor/TDP.

AMD

But that’s no longer the case.

Confusingly, the market segment digit doesn’t strictly correspond to the primary model name.

For example, both three and four can indicate a Ryzen 3 CPU.

An infographic by AMD categorizes various Ryzen mobile processor series for different market segments. The 7020 series targets everyday computing, the 7030 series for mainstream thin and light laptops, the 7035 series for premium thin and light designs, the 7040 series as elite ultrathin, and the 7045 series for extreme gaming and creators, each with updated design wins.

AMD

Architecture

The microarchitecture of a processor is the design and organization that dictates how a CPU operates.

Usually, a newer architecture is more powerful and efficient, and it often hasa smaller transistor sizeas well.

A newer architecture brings asignificant performance increasecompared to its predecessor.

A newer architecture also typically requires less power, resulting in increased battery life.

As I mentioned earlier, architectures were traditionally tied in with the CPU series.

It’s always a zero or a five, with the five indicating a better model.

Essentially, a CPU with a higher TDP consumes more electricity to operate.

A CPU with a higher TDP gets hotter and can have a shorter battery life.